Yesterday, I turned 44. Today, this is what I know about balance.

Many of you sent nice notes and I want to say THANK YOU for the birthday wishes. It feels great to have people think of you on your special day. As I get older, I find that with each birthday, I take a moment to reflect on the year that has passed. Most of the time, I take a mental check of where I am as it relates to the goals I’ve set for myself. I also take time to thank God for health and prosperity; and really consider whether or not my life is balanced the way I would like for it to be. This year, I’m proud to say – life is beyond what I imagined.

The birthday was yesterday. Today, I started my day as usual. First, I woke my oldest son for school, then worked out for an hour while watching Joel Olsteen on podcast. Following the workout, I saw my youngest off to school and began my workday with a call for a new project with Ernst & Young. For the most part, I start my day off the same during the week. That’s my MORNING balance. Then, I have a number of other things, as the day progresses, that keep me in balance in several other areas of my life. It wasn’t always like this, but I’m glad I have a process now and it works wonderfully.

If I were to ask you if your life is balanced, what would your first thought be? Most people immediately start to consider whether or not they have balance between work life and home life.

But here’s the thing: if those are the only two parts of life you’re focused on, you’re definitely missing the bigger picture.

A truly balanced life is comprised of 7 areas and work-life balance is only one of them. You’ll need success in the areas of relationships, communication, finances, physical health, faith or spirituality, work-life integration, and community involvement.

Imagine each of these areas as a spoke on a wheel. How smoothly would your family wheel run?

For more than four decades, Zig Ziglar’s used this famous Wheel of Life imagery to empower individuals to live a healthier, more balanced life. It works. I’ve used it for myself over the past few years, and now I use it to help my clients, too.

Ziglar Family has now adapted Zig’s wheel into a life-changing check-up tool called The Ziglar Wheel of Family Life. I’m excited about it and that’s why I’m passing this information on. I get asked to pass on a lot of things – but I only share what I know WORKS! As I mentioned, I’ve used the regular Wheel of Life for a few years and now I’ll start using the Wheel of Family Life, too.